Laos

Hello All,

The boyfriend and I are going to be backpacking around Laos for the last two weeks of November. We'll be travelling mostly on the cheap, but we'd like to treat ourselves to a 1-2 night stay somewhere extra-cool. We don't want to just upgrade to a nice hotel in a city - more like a get away/bungalow/eco-resort (NOT a big cheezy chain resort!) type vibe, ideally w/some good activites incorporated or nearby.

The Lao Spirit Resort (outside of LP) looked like it would fit the bill, but…

does anyone know of ngo's that work with kids or advise parents/ government? (on sending kids on the streets of luang prabang for selling stuff isn't exactly the way i childhood should be)
or is there anyone that officialy kicks tourist arses?
it seems to me that this whole (sending kids in the street, make them look sad-) thing is quiete new to lao. in a tourist polluted place like that it should be possible to make the diffrence. or not? any suggestions?

claude

Greetings,
can anyone tell me if there are still flights from Vientiane to Sam Neua? Latest Lonely Planet says yes but Lao Airlines domestic flight schedule makes no mention of any. Can anyone give me the latest please.

Ciaran

I was wondering what is the best way to get to Laos from Thailand. Vientiene and Luang Prabang. From Bangkok. Should I fly? Bus? How much?

We are looking for advice about a special hotel or guest house (prices not too much of a issue) to relax for 4-5 nights somewhere in Laos second week of January at the end of our holiday. Preferably somewhere where there are activities nearby to do during the day, if we feel like it, but where we could just as easily stay in around the Hotel or Guesthouse...
Cheers,
JP

hello guys,
we need your help!
are on our way to vientianne and think of heading south to champusak and 1000islands.
from there we want to travel east, directly to vietnam.
is there any border crossing south of pakse open?? (lonely planet says no, but maybe it has changed in the meanwhile!!)
if there is no border crossing in the deep south, we might not travel down all the way, to come up again.
so we really need your help, as travel agents in laos don't know as well.
thanks a lot
flori and david

I am in Bangkok at the moment trying to book up for the Gibbon Experience in N.Laos, and have read and heard conflicting info on the length of visa on arrival at the border.
My friend who was here last year told me it is only 15 days visa at border, and if I want 30 days I should go to the embassy. I have just found this page http://www.royalexclusive.com/Laos_Visa.htm from google saying I need a letter to take to the embassy, but I have also just read posts on thorntree saying now all visas on…

Three of us are planning on going from Chiang Mai, Thailand to Huay Xai, Laos and from there to Luang Prabang by slow boat.
We have booked a room in LP but I'm not sure if I can catch the boat at any time of the day or not.
Is it feasible to expect to be able to arrive in Huay Xai from Chiang Mai and catch a boat the same day so that we can arrive in LP the next day or would it be better to arrive in HX the day before and spend the night before taking the boat?
Also can you give us an idea of the…

Hi

Can anyone tell me if its possible to get boats from Luang Prabang down the Mekong to Vientienne, preferably a 'slow boat', and roughly how long does this take?

I know this info is probably in a guidebook somewhere bit right now I'm in deepest Tibet with no access to such a thing, trying to plan ahead for my family who like to know all things well in advance.

Cheers

Robin

i have lost my glasses and need new ones, yet i cant recall my number. where can i make an optical chek and buy new glasses?
thanks you.